News

New BAFA registrations team members confirmed

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Neil Henderson and Christian Cantrill will assist Amanda McDonald and Faye Eastwood in managing the BAFA registration system

BAFA is pleased to welcome Neil Henderson and Christian Cantrill
to its registrations team, with both agreeing to take on the
role of assistant registrations manager.

Both Neil and Christian bring extensive knowledge and understanding of
administration and football to their new roles, which are effective from Monday
8 January. Both will report to existing BAFA registrations managers Amanda
McDonald and Faye Eastwood.

After an initial training period Neil and Christian will initially focus on
routine enquiries and credentials approvals to help ensure BAFA continues to
deliver a fast, efficient service to the users of the National Leagues
registration system. Neil will also support the adult flag league on reporting
and roster requirements.

BAFA Chairman Martin Cockerill stated “It
is great to see new people joining the registrations team, a crucial role that
is often overlooked. The current team have performed outstanding work and have
improved the system in its functionality, both Neil and Christian bring a
wealth of knowledge and talent to the role, and will continue the excellent
work of the team, I want to welcome both of them to the management side
National Leagues and look forward to their contribution to the smooth running
of BAFA activities”

The BAFA registrations team are now taking a short break over the festive
season until Thursday 4 January and will respond to any new queries after that
point

Neil Henderson
Neil is very well known in the flag football community having
played for nearly 20 years both North and South of the border. After
co-founding the Glasgow Hornets and helping to setup the league in Scotland he
moved to the South coast and joined the Chichester Sharks with whom he won two
National Championships. Having been twice selected for the GB team he continues
to lead the Sharks at QB.

Neil was instrumental in getting adult flag football incorporated within BAFA
in 2008 and was the league co-ordinator for the first few seasons. This role
has been reprised as Neil is a member of the newly formed flag league
organising committee which has overseen the transformation of the senior mixed
flag league to include 61 teams from across the UK and which is now split into
two tiers for the first time

Christian Cantrill

Christian has been involved in American Football for 29 years –
first as a lineman and then graduate assistant at North Kitsap High School, in
Washington State, before joining the US Air Force and coaching flag football
for three years in California. After a posting to the UK he started coaching
with Force USA on the military base in Suffolk where he cut his teeth in
contact under semi-pro Hall of Fame Coach Doc Smeby as OL coach and ST
Coordinator. In 2001 he led the Ipswich Cardinals to a Div II National Championship
as a rookie HC before posting back to the US where he coached for the Minot AFB
Memorial Jr high team. In 2005 Christian returned again to the UK and got back
into coaching with the Norwich Devils until being posted to Korea.

In 2009 Christian was a part of the PA Knights travel team to the semi-pro
Football Hall of Fame game in Las Vegas vs Team USA as STC and DL coach.
Christian finally returned to the UK in 2015 and joined the Bury Saints first
as DL and OL coach then finished the past two years as HC leading the Saints to
a Div 1 National championship in 2016 and into the Premiership for the 2017
season. Christian retired from coaching following the 2017 season to dedicate
more time to his family. Christian had been a club administrator in the BAFA
registrations system for the Saints for the last two years and has worked in
the IT world in Las Vegas. He also had multiple years’ experience in the
military working administrative duties and projects/programs.